Randall Udall, well known outdoorsman / environmentalist, failed to return from a backpacking trip out of Elkheart Park trailhead, Wyoming. He was expected to be out of the mountains this past Wednesday, June 26. Wyoming officials are asking anyone who may have seen Udall backpacking last week to call 307-367-4378. Randall is tall and weighs about 200 pounds, grey-brown hair and blue eyes. He’s 61 years old.

Re: Re: "Randall Udall is missing on a hike"
on 07/04/2013 13:31:38 MDT

"We all have to go sometime. For me, I wouldn't mind going out like that. In the Winds, doing what I love."

Amen.

The Udall's have quite the family history in politics. Stewart Udall, who would have been both Randall and Mark Udall's great uncle, played a big role in seeing many environmental acts of the 1960's succeed.

From Wikipedia:

Udall played a key role in the enactment of environmental laws such as the Clear Air, Water Quality and Clean Water Restoration Acts and Amendments, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, the National Trail System Act of 1968, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.[9]

Here in the Central Colorado Mountains we've been working close with Mark Udall to protect various areas of land for Wilderness designation.

Re: Re: "Randall Udall is missing on a hike"
on 07/04/2013 13:40:37 MDT

I don't know. I mean, I'd be dead so I wouldn't care, but I think for my family's sake I'd rather die somewhere where they could say goodbye properly and not have to deal with an indeterminate period of uncertainty and fear, and a partially decomposed body. Maybe that's crass to say in the present moment, but I think wishing to die alone on a mountain seems a tad selfish.

Very sad. Natural causes probably means something sudden like stroke or aneurysm. At least his family has closure.

"I don't know. I mean, I'd be dead so I wouldn't care, but I think for my family's sake I'd rather die somewhere where they could say goodbye properly and not have to deal with an indeterminate period of uncertainty and fear, and a partially decomposed body. Maybe that's crass to say in the present moment, but I think wishing to die alone on a mountain seems a tad selfish."

Perhaps. But that doesn't change my mind. I always put my family first. They can throw me a bone on this one.

They know how I feel on this. I go solo most of the time. We had that discussion the first time I did. And a few variations over the years. A solo backpacker went missing near here a couple of years ago. I went out to help look for him as it might help bring closure to his family. When they first located the body they said they may not be able to recover it as it was too dangerous. I think a horse involved in the search broke a leg and had to be put down. I told my wife, if that happens to me don't have anyone risk anything to recover my body. I won't be needing it.